The force of the blast sent Declan flying backward against the pavement.

      The breath was knocked from his lungs and for a moment he couldn’t draw in any air. Smoke filled the area around them and pain reverberated through his body.

      After a few seconds his military survival instincts, along with a healthy dose of adrenaline, kicked in and he rolled over and belly-crawled toward Tess, who was sprawled on the ground just a few feet away.

      “Tess! Are you all right?”

      She let out a low moan and lifted a hand to her head. “Hurts,” she whispered.

      “Stay down,” he ordered, covering her body with his as much as possible. He had no way of knowing if the explosion was only a precursor to more violence or not, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

      Not when Tess’s life was at stake.

      “What happened?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

      “Another bomb,” he said grimly.

      That had been way too close. Tess could have been seriously injured by the blast. And this latest turn of events only convinced him more that she was the specific target.